Following a narrow loss by their homebred champion Untapable (Tapit) in last Saturday's GII Azeri S. at Oaklawn, Winchell Thoroughbreds looks to rebound at the Fair Grounds this weekend with Gun Runner (Candy Ride {Arg}) in the GII Louisiana Derby and Adore (Big Brown) in the GII Fair Grounds Oaks.
Hammered down to 2-5 favoritism against what appeared to be an overmatched field, Untapable was headstrong early, stalking from a two-wide third, and looked full of run when taking command at the quarter-pole. However, the 2014 GI Breeders' Cup Distaff heroine was run down late by Call Pat (Lawyer Ron) and finished second by a neck.
“She came out of the Azeri perfect, not a hair out of place,” Winchell's racing manager David Fiske said, during an NTRA teleconference Tuesday afternoon. “I wish we could have won that race. On paper, it looked like she probably should have. However, it had been a long time since she had run. Good horses like her are kind of tough to get fit. They are so biomechanically efficient that to give them enough work in the morning can be difficult, so you have to give them a race or two to be really fit.”
Untapable is still on track to defend her title in the GI Apple Blossom H. in Hot Springs Apr. 16 with a return to the Breeders' Cup as her long range goal.
Gun Runner, who Ron Winchell's operation owns in partnership with Three Chimneys Farm, was coming off a three-month layoff when winning the local GII Risen Star S. Feb. 20.
“He had been touting himself a little bit in his training and Steve [Asmussen] was excited about running him,” Fiske said. “As everybody knows, coming off a long layoff like he was coming off, of anything could happen. We were just looking for a good effort he could build on and move forward.”
A debut winner going a mile at Churchill Sept. 11, the chestnut followed suit with a 1 1/16-mile optional claimer victory at Keeneland Oct. 17. He was fourth behind the likes of Airoforce (Colonel John), Mor Spirit (Eskendereya) and the reopposing Mo Tom (Uncle Mo) in the GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. Nov. 28, which has proven to be a key race. Let go at 5-1 in his sophomore debut in the Risen Star, Gun Runner stalked the pace, took command in the lane and held off late runs from Forevamo (Uncle Mo) and Mo Tom to score.
“We thought after his races as a 2-year-old that he had a lot of promise,” Fiske commented. “He trained very well over the winter and we had some other options on places to start him, but Steve thought he could get him up to a good effort in the Risen Star and thats what we got. So, we were pretty pleased with that.”
Gun Runner worked a best-of-34 five panels in 1:00 3/5 in New Orleans Mar. 14 and breezed a half-mile Monday in :50 4/5 (41/56) over that strip.
“The way he has trained between the Risen Star and [Louisiana] Derby Saturday, he is doing about as well as he can do,” Fiske offered. “He fired off a bullet last week and had a little maintenance yesterday. He came out of that in great shape. I think he is slightly disadvantaged by his post position draw [Saturday].”
Fiske added, “He is going to have to move forward if he is going to continue down the Triple Crown trail and get faster. I think we are in as good a spot as we can be on Saturday. We just hope it all works out.”
Winchell will also be represented in the GI Kentucky Oaks prep at the Fair Grounds Saturday when Adore lines up for her black-type bow in the Fair Grounds Oaks.
Fourth behind the highly regarded Smart Shopping (Smart Strike) in her seven-panel debut in the slop at Churchill Nov. 28, Adore came back to earn her diploma going a mile at Oaklawn Jan. 16. The chestnut was a decisive four-length winner of a 1 1/16-mile optional claimer last time in Hot Springs Feb. 21.
“She's maturing at the right time,” Fiske remarked. “She seems to be good. She goes around two turns. As I recall, she's not going to be three until the middle of the May. We thought she earned a chance to go earn herself some black-type.”
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